James was only 18-years old when he captured the attention of guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, who marveled at this prodigious guitar talent, and immediately decided to take him on the road through the Canadian prairies, and later the United States. It wasn't long after that the young musician began opening for the likes of John Lee Hooker, ZZ Top, Steve Winwood and Keith Richards, Colin's 1988 self-titled debut Colin James was the fastest-selling album in Canadian music history featuring the smash hits "Why'd You Lie?”, “Voodoo Thing” and “Five Long Years". It featured a team of three top producers, including Tom Dowd (Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers), Danny Kortchmar (Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young) and Bob Rock (Jann Arden, Michael Bublé, Bush, The Cult, Loverboy, Sarah McLachlan, Metallica).
James followed up his record-breaking debut with a strong 1990 release, Sudden Stop, which was produced by Joe Hardy (.38 Special, Steve Earle, The Jeff Healey Band, ZZ Top ). This release has two top forty radio hits: "Just Came Back" and, "Keep On Loving Me Baby", and features Bonnie Raitt singing backing vocals on "Give It Up". This sophomore album further helped established Colin's integrity as an artist to lookout for.
James formed The Little Big Band in early 1990's and would eventually release a trilogy of CDs fronting this 1930's-50's style punchy horn section band, playing classics and originals featuring his stellar guitar fills and confident vocals. The first Colin James and The Little Big Band was released in 1993, and it was produced by Chris Kinsley (The Cult, Duran Duran, Psychedelic Furs, The Rolling Stones). The second Colin James and The Little Big Band II was released in 1998 on Warner Music, while the third, Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 was distributed on Maple Music in Canada and Universal Music Group globally in 2006, and he would eventually do a fourth with the band, a holiday album Colin James & The Little Big Band Christmas.
In 2008 he took home three Maple Blues Awards (Toronto Blues Society), which included Entertainer of the Year, while his release Limelight also went gold in Canada.
James released his twelfth album Rooftops and Satellites on October 6th, 2009, and it was a return to his guitar Blues-Rock roots. The album was primarily co-written by Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond) and Thomas "Tawgs" Salter, co-writer and producer of Lights' debut and Josh Groban's Awake, and it has generated four Canadian radio singles, “Man’s Gotta Be A Stone”, “Lost Again”, “Wavelength” and “Johnny Coolman.”
2011's 'Take It From The Top: The Best Of’ pays tribute to James's career's first 23 years and serves as a celebration of Colin’s return back where he started his recordings, Virgin/EMI. This Greatest Hits collection also features two newly recorded tracks, “It’s Gonna Be Alright“ as well as an innovative cover of the Buddy Miles' classic “Them Changes”, that were recorded in Vancouver with veteran producer Bob Rock (Michael Bublé, Metallica), reuniting the two after almost twenty years.
On June 12th, 2012, James released his fifteenth album, appropriately entitled Fifteen, which was produced by Joe Hardy (ZZ Top, Brooks & Dunn, Jeff Healey, Steve Earle), who had handled three of Colin's previous album productions including his successful sophomore release. Colin co-writes with Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady) on the opener “Sweets Gone Sour” and the rocker “I Need You Bad.” Colin also re-teamed with Tom Wilson and Thomas “Tawgs” Salter on four high-octane tracks, including the bluesy “No Time to Get There” and the driving “Stone Faith,” the album’s first single.
Fifteen also features two beautiful co-writes with Ron Sexsmith that reveal Colin’s seductive side: “Finally Wrote a Song for You”, a soulful love ballad; and “Shoulder to Cry On,” a moving acoustic number that highlights his vocal range, while closing the album. The disc also features some inspiring covers, including John Lennon's "Jealous Guy", Peter Green's (Fleetwood Mac) "Oh Well", [artis]Foy Vance’s gospel-tinged “Shed A Little Light,” and Allen Toussaint's funky "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley", which has perhaps become best known by Robert Palmer's cover.
On February 3, 2015, James released Hearts On Fire which was produced by Colin Linden at House of Blues Studios in Nashville, and this twelve track collection is distributed by Universal Music. The title track and all but two of the songs were written or co-written by Colin.
In 2016, James was named an inductee into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame presented by FACTOR (The Canadian Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings). In addition to this honour, Colin headlined the Western Canadian Music Awards Show at Casino Regina on October 13th, 2016, kicking off BreakOut West’s 14th year of celebrating Western Canada’s talent.
James's studio album Blue Highways features thirteen Classic Blues covers from guitar-hero greats like Blind Willie McTell, Freddie King, Peter Green, and Robert Johnson. The CD was released on October 16th, 2016. Recording and Production was primarily handled in Vancouver by Colin James and Dave Meszaros, with recording and mixing assistance from Eric Mosher, Chris Stringer and Jason Jaknunas. Blue Highways is being distributed by True North Records, and iTunes.
Over his illustrious career, James has earned 16 Maple Blues Awards, and he has worked and toured with the 'who’s who' in the international music scene (in alphabetical order): Luther Allison, Jann Arden, The Chieftains, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Tom Dowd, Buddy Guy, Johnny Hallyday, John Hammond Jr., Gordie Johnson, Albert King, Bobby King and Terry Evans, Danny Kortchmar, Lenny Kravitz, Little Feat, The Memphis Horns, Craig Northey, Bill Payne, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Bob Rock, The Rolling Stones, Roomful Of Blues, Carlos Santana, Mavis Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Wilson, Betty Wright and ZZ Top. In addition to writing most of his own material, his music has been covered by artists like Maria Muldaur, Johnny Halliday and Lucinda Williams.
I Can't Hold Out
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She said, "Stop what you're doing and baby come on home."
I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone.
You said, "Baby don't you worry, you're my heart's desire.
You know that I love you, I can't stand to see you cry."
I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long.
She said, "Baby you can run, you can walk or fly.
You know that I love you, you're my heart's desire."
I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone, oh yeah.
I talked to my baby, I talked to my baby.
I talked to my baby, I talked to my baby.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone.
The lyrics of Colin James's song "I Can't Hold Out" are a simple, yet effective expression of the excitement that the singer feels when talking to his sweetheart on the phone. The opening line sets the stage with a description of a phone call from the singer's baby, who urges him to come home. The singer's response is an admission that he is powerless to resist the pull of his beloved, leading into the refrain of the song, "I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long." This refrain reinforces the notion that the singer is consumed by the feeling he gets from talking to his baby on the phone, and that he is not able to resist the pull of her love.
The second verse of the song continues in the same vein as the first, with the singer recounting a conversation in which his baby reassures him of her love and her commitment to him. Once again, the refrain drives home the point that the singer feels a strong attachment to his sweetheart, and that he can't resist the pull of her love.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Can't Hold Out" are a testament to the power of love to overcome distances, and to the strength that can be drawn from the connections we make with others. The song is a classic take on the enduring theme of long-distance love, and it continues to resonate with listeners to this day.
Line by Line Meaning
I just talked to my baby on the telephone,
After having a conversation with my beloved over the phone,
She said, "Stop what you're doing and baby come on home."
My partner urged me to halt my work and return to her immediately.
I can't hold out, I can't hold out too long.
I cannot resist my love for her any longer.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone.
Communicating with her over the phone fills me with immense joy.
You said, "Baby don't you worry, you're my heart's desire.
My partner comforted me and reaffirmed that I hold a special place in her heart.
You know that I love you, I can't stand to see you cry."
She expressed that she loves me deeply and cannot bear to see me unhappy.
She said, "Baby you can run, you can walk or fly.
My beloved assured me that I can travel to her via any means necessary.
You know that I love you, you're my heart's desire."
She reiterated that she loves me profoundly and that I hold her heart's desire.
I talked to my baby, I talked to my baby.
I conversed with my dear partner, continuously.
I get a real good feeling talking to you on the phone.
Speaking to her fills my heart with a sense of blissfulness.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ELMORE JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind